Stamp or label affixer



(No Model.)

7 W. B. SHAPER.

STAMP OR LABEL AFFIXER.

Patented Sept. 1, 18 91.

ATENT Fries.

\VILLIAM l3. SHAFER, OF SOMERSET, PENNSYLVANIA.

STAMP OR LABEL AFFIXER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,599, dated September 1, 1891. Application filed December 2, 1890. Serial No. 373,329. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. SHAFER, of Somerset, in the county of Somerset and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Stamp or Label Affixer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The objects of this invention are to provide a neat, convenient, and inexpensive device of the character indicated which will afford means to moisten an envelope or other surface on which a stamp or label is to be aflixed, and provide a receptacle forsuch stamps orlabels at a point that will permit them to be successively affixed by a manipulation of the device, the stamp or label holder being capable of an individual delivery of the imprints that are to be attached to surfaces and a retention of a quantity in separated and cleanly condition.

To these ends myinvention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of the device, partly in section at the lower end. Fig. 2 is a view of another side of the device, broken away to expose the interior, said side being at right angles to the one shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

The body A of the instrument is preferably made in bottle form, of glass, rectangular in cross-section, with a cylindrical neck a, wherein a flanged cork 13, made of any suitable material, is inserted, the flange l) on said cork projecting sufficiently beyond the bottle-neck to permit it to be readily gripped and removed. The dimensions of the body A maybe varied to suit the work to be performed, but not so large as to be inconvenient to handle with ease and rapidity.

At a proper point near the lower end of the hollow rectangular body A two opposite walls are contracted to provide cross-grooves, as at 0, there being two radial flanges (Z thus produced on the lower end portion of the body, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon one side of the body A, which is at right angles to the flanges d, a projecting rounded rib e is formed near to the grooves o and above the flanges cl.

A holder 0 for stamps or labels is provided,

confisting of a rectangular shallow box having an inwardly-extended continuous flange 9 formed on the lower edge portion of its four side walls all in the same plane, thus producing a narrow base wall at right angles to the sides mentioned and adapted to removably retain stamps or labels that are piled in the box and rest thereon. Upon the upper edges of three sides of the holder C inwardly-turned ledges h are produced, which lie in the same plane that is parallel to the base wall below on the holder. The side wall not provided with a ledge is out lower on its upper edge to permit the hold er to be slid upon the flanges (Z from the side of the body that is opposite the rib e, the unflanged side of the holder (3 be ing thus located immediately below said rib when the holder is in position upon the flanges d, whereon the ledges it rest. The cork B is axially perforated to receive a moistening-brush D, which may be formed of any material which is fibrous and sufficiently pliable, bristles, wicking, or wrapped layers of cloth being suitable for the purpose. Said brush should project above the cork B a short distance, so as to readily engage the surface of a letter-envelope, or any other article which is to receive a stamp or label, or that is gummed for adhesion to an adjacent surface, such as the flap of an envelope or a self-sealing bag or parcel cover.

011 opposite sides of the bodyA shallow indentations m are produced in the walls to afford finger-holds for the operator.

In putting the stamp or label aflixer into use the holder 0 is supplied with as many imprints as it will contain, it being understood that they are of such relative area as will cause their edges to loosely engage the inner surfaces of the four side walls of the holder, so as to enable the base-flange thereon to retain the paper, stamps, orlabels therein, they having their gummed sides below, so as to be exposed one at a time as they are successively removed from the base of the holder. The body A having been nearly filled with water and the cork B replaced tightly, the device is ready for service, the manipulation consisting in first moistening the place where .a stamp or label is to be affixed, then seating the holder upon the dampened surface with proper pressure, and when removed rubbing the face of the applied stamp or label with the burnishing-rib e, which will seal the edges of the stamp upon the surface that receives it and complete the operation of affixing the imprint in a neat, expeditious, and cleanly manner, avoiding contact of the gunnned stamp .orlabel with thetongueorfingers of the operator.

The device can also be ut1lized in the sealing of large numbers of letterenvelopes, as their flaps may be moistened, turned down, and rubbed close without touching the same with the fingers by a manipulation of the instrument in an obvious manner.

Havingthus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A stamp or label afiixer comprising a hollow body or reservoir having an integral transverse burnishing-rib e and a stopper provided with a brush extending through it into the body to conduct theliquid therefrom, substantially as set forth.

2. In a stamp-affixer, a body having an integral transverse rib e, transverse grooves c c, and flanges cl d, and the stamp-box open at both ends and pro vided with inwardly-p rojecting flanges 7L at its upper end working in the grooves above flanges (Z and inward-projecting flanges to support the stamps, substan:

at. A stamp-affixer comprising a hollow bod y or reservoir provided k at its upper open end with a stopper having a brush extending through'it into the interior of the body or reservoir, a stamp -boX open at both ends and into the upper open end of which the lower end of the body projects to act on the stamps, and means for connecting the box and body, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a hollow rectangular body having two flanges and two grooves oppositely formed on its lower end, of a stampholder consisting of a box having an open flanged lower end and ledges on the top edges of said box adapted to slide upon and rest on theflanges ofthe body, substantially as set forth.

WM. B. SHAFER.

Witnesses:

J. A. BERKLY, II. F. BARRON. 

